The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta has threatened to violently attack vessels whose crew do not allow members of the organisation on board.
MEND also claimed responsibility for the attack on a marine police checkpoint on Thursday in Bayelsa State, an attack that led to the death of three policemen.
These positions were contained in a statement issued by the group and signed by its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo.
MEND said it was prepared to launch rockets on any vessel that tries to manoeuvre when its members want to get on board.
It insinuated that its attack on vessels would be limited to those with interest in Nigeria’s oil industry.
This could be deduced from the group’s promise to free the kidnapped crew members of a Dutch vessel, MV Breeze Clipper.
Gbomo’s statement reads in full: “Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) confirms that the attack on a Nigerian marine police checkpoint on Thursday March 1, 2012, in Bayelsa State in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria was carried out by our fighters. Additionally, we are in contact with the abductors of Captain Pikus Viktor, chief engineer Melnikov Slava and crew member Frederick Villamor taken off a Dutch registered reefer, “MV Breeze Clipper”, anchored approximately 3 nautical miles off the coast of Port Harcourt on Tuesday, February 28, 2012.
“The kidnappers have offered to hand these sailors who are all in good health over to one of our camps in Rivers State. We are considering this offer as these men were not captured from a vessel related to the Nigerian oil industry. The master and chief engineer are Russian while the remaining crew member is from the Philippines.
“MEND wishes to sound a warning to masters of oil industry vessels considering adopting manoeuvres aimed at preventing our fighters from boarding their vessels.
“We will launch rockets at the bridge and other parts of the superstructure of such uncooperative vessels, and ensure such vessels are set alight, when we eventually board.”